The Future of Consumerist

Over the last twelve years, Consumerist has been a steadfast proponent and voice on behalf of consumers, from exposing shady practices by secretive cable companies to pushing for action against dodgy payday lenders. Now, we’re joining forces with Consumer Reports, our parent organization, to cultivate the next generation of consumer advocacy.

Stay tuned as Consumerist’s current and future content finds its home as a part of the Consumer Reports brand. In the meantime, you can access existing Consumerist content below, and we encourage you to visit Consumer Reports to read the latest consumer news.

Just because the government has the misfortune to shut down doesn’t mean all the expenses federal employees have to pay for are put on hold — far from it. Bills are still due for many affected by the shutdown, but Hyundai Motor says it wants to help any affected U.S. workers by deferring payments they owe on the car company’s vehicles.

Hyundai says that any of the 700,000 employees facing unpaid leave during the shutdown will be given a payment relief on their Hyundai vehicles “for as long as they are out of work,” reports the BBC.

If you happen to be shopping for a new car at the moment, federal employees will also get a 90-day payment deferral. This plan is similar to the Hyundai Assurance Program offered by the company four years ago during the heyday of the recession.

“We recognize the impact on family budgets that the furlough will drive,” John Krafcik, chief executive of Hyundai Motor America, said in a statement.

“Like we did almost four years ago when we launched Hyundai Assurance, this is our way of saying ‘We’ve got your back’ during this uncertain time,” he added.

Eligible customers must have financed their purchase or lease through Hyundai Finance America, so if you’re unsure, check with your dealer to see if you can participate in the deferral program.